Desire
by GummyWormValkrie
Summary: Lucina has murdered her love, the serene Robin, against her will to protect her father, but may be falling victim to a dreadful desire in the miserable aftermath. (Shorter version: My continuation of the cutscene in Chapter 22 in which Lucina tries to kill you.) Rated T for blood, as usual.
1. Chapter 1

**Obsession**

* * *

_In Fire Emblem: Awakening, late in the game there is a short cut-scene where Lucina confronts your Avatar and, after some dialogue, she will say she is going to kill them to save her father. Whether you choose "Yes" or "No", your Avatar will not be killed in-game. But let's assume Lucina _did _end up killing Robin._..

* * *

ROBIN'S SOFT BROWN EYES WERE ROUND as he gaped at Lucina. The young woman stood, stiffly, in front of him, clutching her sword with its sharp blade pointed slightly towards him. Her hands shook, but she drew a quivering breath and began to speak.

"I... I'm... I'm sorry, Robin... I'm so sorry."

"Lucina..." Robin lowered his face in a combination of sadness that events had demanded this situation, and the vague, numb terror that his own death was moments away. His soft white hair collapsed dejectedly onto his forehead as he sighed heavily.

"Robin, please... R-remember that I'll- I'll love you even in death... And that we'll all bring down our foe."

"Yes, I have faith you will." Robin replied quietly, managing to lift his head and look into Lucina's blue eyes, coated with tears. He had loved her so much, since the first day where she stumbled on a stray magic tome on he barrack floor, and he had helped her to her feet. Their love grew and grew, supported by the dozens of enemies they had defeated together and the power they embodied together. But now, cruel fate demanded he was to die.

Lucina, almost staggering, shuffled close to Robin, raising her sword while stifling sobs with horrible difficulty. Rubbing away her tears, she whispered, "I love you... Robin..."

"I love you too, Lucina. Do this for the future." He slightly tilted his head, exposing his neck more clearly. Lucina gasped and cut herself off with a soft sob. Her whole body was trembling with such severity that her sword was about to fall from her hand.

Slowly, with tears flowing down her face, she lifted her sword and placed the sharp edge a mere inch from Robin's exposed throat. His eyes were closed, his expression calm. Softly, he whispered, "Go on. Go ahead."

Lucina felt a powerful urge to drop her weapon and hug Robin immediately, her desire to do this much greater than her need to slice open his throat. _But he'll turn on Chrom under possession... and then the army will fall apart without its leader... And I'll end up with neither one I love._

With that final thought, she breathed deeply, steadied, and sliced.

Robin did not scream, but the pain filled his brown eyes as his mouth gaped open in a silent shriek. Screaming herself, Lucina watched as a spurt of crimson blood followed, arcing upwards and splattering on the ground, as Robin collapsed. She half-knelt, half-fell down next to him, as he let out a low groan of astonished agony. The slash was so deep his head was barely still hanging to his flesh as Lucina held him in her shaking arms, her cheek pressed to his face, sobbing openly. Tears mixed with the blood dripping and spurting onto her chest and stomach, hot and clinging, and as Lucina reopened her eyes, Robin's own closed. However, his whitened lips slowly parted in words, and as Lucina instantly fell silent, she caught the faint sound:

_...when all my blood has bled,  
Even when there's nothing...  
...my body's spirit..,_  
_I will...still love you..._

"NO, Robin! No! Don't...!" Lucina screamed, her voice at a horrible pitch of grief. When Robin failed to obey her, she lowered her face even further and let out a banshee wail that sent birds fleeing from their roosts in the nearby forest, her face shoved into his. Alas, she stopped short when reality finally set in. If any of the army had heard her wails- which was likely- they would come running to the commotion.

Lucina had prepared, and reiterated, a cover story- "An assassin struck him down. I tried to save him, but I was too late." Unwillingly, she gently lowered Robin's unmoving, blood-splattered body onto the warm grass, glowing a pretty orange in the sunset. But Robin's face was too white and pained to suggest serenity. At that Lucina felt the wetness in her eyes again and hastily rubbed it away. She must not go to pieces _now._

However, with her vision now clear, she saw a figure wandering in their direction. It had to be a member of the army, as there was no civilization within less than a day's travel distance. Panic suddenly erupted in Lucina's veins. Discovery now would expose her as Robin's murderer. _Murderer... _

She would have to remove the evidence, which was the stains of blood on her sword, that couldn't be blamed on a rogue. Her intention to wash it in the river wouldn't work- it was too far. She had to remove it here. And there was just one way to do that.

Lucina's body started to shudder, as though she were doused in freezing water. Denial ripped at her. But there was no choice, and with the image of her father's face if he should see this horror, Lucina slowly steadied herself. Lifting her sword so the tip flashed next to her face, she opened her mouth and ran her tongue along the cold metal, eyes shut tightly. The blood tasted strong and sharp, like rusted iron, and pierced every orifice within her mouth with its awful flavor. The instant the stain had disappeared, Lucina collapsed from her position and felt a rush of nausea erupt from her stomach. Instinctively clapping a hand to her mouth, a violent cough expelled from her mouth. Yet Lucina had almost nothing to vomit, and thankfully nothing spilled except the fluid oozing from her squinted eyes.

The taste of blood remained in her mouth as she rolled weakly onto her back. Her sword was cleaned of blood, but her conscience was stained like the body at her side. No longer capable of holding back, she began sobbing at full force. Lucina's hands began to tear up the grass destructively as she regressed, trying to escape the sadness, but merely sobbed again loudly. Her will was speedily ebbing away- to stop crying, to move, to even hold Robin's hand. Greater nausea was rising in her stomach.

"Lucina! What in Gods' names just _happened_?!"

It wasn't Father's voice, it was Henry. But his normally cheerful voice was high-pitched and distressed- even his heavily squinted eyes were opened enough to see the dark irises.

"Lucina! Are you alright?... Oh... Gods..." Henry's words failed him once he fully saw Robin's body. Lucina couldn't even answer. She managed to rise up to her front, but once again collapsed as feelings overtook her.

"Oh, Lucina... Uggh..." For the first time, Henry seemed unsure of what to do. He merely stayed still.

With her face resting on Robin's nearly-severed neck, Lucina continued to sob but managed to mumble to Henry, "Assassin... got him..."

"Wow... I'd-I'd better go tell..."

Trailing off, Henry turned and directed himself to the rest of the army but Lucina caught him beginning to shiver through her half-closed eyes. Tears spilled onto the ghastly wound as Lucina lifted her head and, her face trembling, lightly kissed Robin's cheek. She didn't want to touch him touch with her bloodied gloves. His normally beautiful skin was colder and felt less soft than before already. However, she noticed a tiny spot of his blood where her lips were, and tried to brush it off briskly. It wouldn't rub off easily, so, less reluctantly than before, she simply licked the dark blotch off. The taste was still strong and unpleasant, but seemed strangely fainter, more bearable...

Many minutes later, a familiar voice brought Lucina out of her haze. She wouldn't life her head, but could recognize Gauis by voice.

"Lucina... Assassins, was it?" The thief had referred to her by name, not by her nicknames "Tiara" or "Marley", showing he was also affected. Reluctantly glancing up at him, Lucina could see he looked confused and almost helpless, eyes narrowed but brimming.

"G-Gauis... I need to be... alone." The voice that spoke those words felt like someone else's, not the voice Lucina had always known.

"Okay, I guess. Be careful, give us a holler... if anyone else shows up."

Gauis stood awkwardly for a moment before gently turning Lucina over into a more comfortable position, on her side alongside Robin instead of piled half-atop his chest and face. Gauis knew now she wouldn't move on her own. Lucina closed her eyes, even though sleep was far away.

The minutes slid by, and although the atmosphere was calm and peaceful, Lucina's mind was everything else. _Did I really do the right thing? Avatar... It was either you or my father...  
It's my fault._

That phrase repeated itself in Lucina's head like a marching chant.

_It's my fault. _

_My fault._

* * *

Lucina opened her eyes again, and saw the sky had changed to dark blue. Night had come. Surprisingly, Robin still lay next to her, the light of the almost-full moon illuminating the fatal marks she had made. Drying blood glistened on the grass, like puddles did in a rainstorm.

Reaching out with a stiff hand, Lucina tenderly stroked Robin's face, which was now almost stiff. He must be buried soon, so she would only have a few more hours with her beloved. Once again the pain welled up in Lucina's chest, quickly reaching her reddened and wet eyes as her face fell forward. The stricken princess stuffed both hands to her eyes in suppression of the painful emission ahead.

_All this blood... I have to get rid of it...  
Oh, Robin... Why..._


	2. Chapter 2

**Obsession (Part II)  
**

* * *

_Months after posting this for the first time, I'm actually going through and editing it. My apologies for being a rather lazy writer...  
_

* * *

THE FOULNESS OF THE BLOOD STILL repulsed Lucina of her actions before. It wasn't something she wanted to repeat, but she didn't want her dear Robin to have his body stained with blood before being lowered for the last time. That image would be her very last of him. It must be as pure as possible.

A sudden sound cut into her bleak thoughts, distracting her. At first it sounded like wailing, probably another army member letting out grief, but as it progressed it became what it was- Cordelia's singing. But rather than being soft and musical as usual, it was high-pitched and seemed to be part screaming in addition to her melody. The stern Pegasus knight had never been Robin's candidate for a partner, but they had enjoyed friendship.

Looking around in the cool night, Lucina could see Cordelia wasn't the only one awake. That whom had to be Panne was seated halfway up a tree some distance away, looking grimly thoughtful. And, sitting hunched over in the grass was Morgan, her light hair sticking to her face with tears, quietly murmuring something only half-intelligible. Lucina remembered how loud she screamed when she had glimpsed Robin, and how hard she had fallen to the ground. Robin had been her father, and had passed his normally loving and cheerful attitude onto his daughter, but now Morgan was inconsolable. Unlike Lucina, the contents of her stomach had ended up on the ground upon the sight of her father's fate.

Lucina again stared at Robin's face, remembering as much detail to preserve it for the long time ahead. Her movements were unconscious as she leaned close, her mouth feeling dry and her throat, strangely, aching. Lucina's whole body was feeling the agony plaguing her mind. Her stomach felt unsteady and sore, her arms and legs numb and her eyes burning. Stretching a little more, her tongue found the gaping edge of Robin's wound.

By now the horrible taste had faded. Lucina let her eyes close gently as she started to lick off the residue. She felt herself relax to a degree as the blood slowly disappeared, and the dark slather of fluid in her mouth became more bearable. And although Robin remained still as the stones underneath them, Lucina violently recoiled when she thought she saw his eyelids flutter.

No, he hadn't moved at all. Perhaps it was just her imagination, or her distorted state of mind.

* * *

The endless night wore on, silent except for Cordelia's semi-shrieking songs and the occasional footsteps as another unit decided he or she needed a walk to escape the situation. Morgan was now lying on her back, face upturned, trying to accept the brutal shock of the turn of events. What was the final thing she had said to Robin? Was it "_I love you, Father_"?

Lucina still wasn't capable of sleeping, but at this time she had managed to almost drain Robin of loose blood around his neck thanks to her tongue and lips, stained with blood. Her throat had felt thick and somewhat painful as it dried, but now what remained had solidified to a gelatin-like consistency.

_It's not just his blood... It's his being. It's his soul. It's all I can take from him... to remember him by. _

_He has to buried very soon. I suppose... it's time for the army to say good-bye.  
...Did I do the right thing? No, I can't dwell on that. I can't change death._

"I can't change..." Lucina cut herself short as her normally firm voice came out shaking and suggesting hysteria. She stopped herself, rallied self-control and planned her next decision. She must _now_ go and wash her face to hide the stains she had absorbed.

The half-minute walk took over double its natural time thanks to fatigue, nevertheless Lucina pressed on. Her heart was heavy as the sword in its sheath attached at her waist, her face seeing nothing but the black grass. Around her the world was close to silent- no birdsong, little wind and no noise of humans. Cordelia had traded her singing for weeping, and could be seen silhouetted in the moonlight, embraced by a fellow unit Lucina couldn't identify. It could be Henry, as he was the only one who had been neither seen nor heard crying since the Parallel Falchion finished its fatal blow. Only Henry could possibly turn a horrific accident into a positive experience.

The river water was like liquid ice and contained small fish, but Lucina cupped her hands and splashed some onto her chin. The stains began to wear away, and she continued, ignoring the freezing numbness surrounding the area with each application. It didn't faze her. The deadness outside was no comparison to the deadness in her chest. Tomorrow morning, she would have to awaken without Robin practicing his dances in the tent adjacent to her. She would have to find a new battle partner- "dance partner", as they were nicknamed- despite no one else available. She would have no one to walk with in her free moments, no one to pick wildflowers for, no one to sing to, no one to embrace...

Suddenly the coldness of the river was no longer confined to her face. It was all around her! The sky was visible, the ground underneath was hard and slick... _I fell in! It's so cold... I can hardly move-!_

Struggling against the brisk current, Lucina tried to signal for help, but the cold water rushed into her mouth and rendered her voice useless. The Falchion's iron weight was dragging her down, and despite the river's depth of just several feet in the center, it would be easy to drown in the frozen hell and the current's grip. She would have to release her sword very quickly if she hoped to survive. If she wasn't in the process of drowning, abandoning her sword was an action Lucina would likely put death over, but now that death was a possibility she would have to make an exception.

Lucina's hand at last found the sword and she promptly ripped it free of its covering. _Thank the gods for that! _Yet by now, the coldness was taking its toll and numbness was setting into Lucina's body as she persistently attempted to swim. Her movements were sluggish. There was little feeling in her body but the rushing, icy water, soaking her clothing and stinging her face like a dagger. Her breath was short, and the bubble of panic deep in her chest was erupting.

Finally managing to get a proper breath, Lucina thrust her face from the water with all her power and yelled one word: "_Help!_" From an army member, a villager, anyone- her life could not be taken now. Not after she had sacrificed Robin in exchange for her father's life. But her body was so numb, and the water was filling her as soon as her mouth opened. _No, no, no! Not now!_ Her mind raged like the noise of the water trying to claim her life.

Hard as she fought, her side was losing as the current swept her another few feet downwards. By now Lucina was exhausted from the cold, her body trembling beyond control, but she ignored it and desperately tried to surface again. Unable to lift her head, she managed to extend one hand into the air, fear powering her drive to survive.

_At least I can join Robin._

Then a hand firmly locked onto her own as a voice cried out. Unable to decipher it, Lucina felt relief flood her veins as she was quickly pulled from the water like a fish on a line. Grabbing the ground for support, she crumpled in a shuddering heap, soaked in water and still stained with the blood that had dried. The voice sounded again as the stranger placed a hand gently on Lucina's back.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes..." Lucina gasped after spitting a large mouthful of water. Then spare panic flared in her chest as she remembered something.

"My Falchion! I have to-"

"You mean this?" the voice said, again calmly. The Falchion rested, dirty but undamaged, alongside her.

Now Lucina could properly see her rescuer- a young-looking girl with bright red hair and emerald eyes that had a sad expression. However, her smile was calm and showed real happiness as she continued, "Yes, I assume this is yours?"

"You have my gratitude..." Lucina answered, heavily but also gratefully. "Ah... Y-You saved my life."

The girl nodded, closing her eyes as she did so in silent thanks. "Forgive me, but I don't believe you are alright. You're covered in blood, but it doesn't seem to be your own. Has a friend been injured?"

Lucina couldn't answer, so she used the time to reflect on her appearance by glancing at the water. She looked the subject for improvement- her uniform was damp and streaked with dark patches, her hair was becoming untidy, and her face was pale and sad with blood blemishing its image. After a long half-minute she whispered, "...Yes."

"I see." the girl replied patiently.

"...No. He was... killed." Lucina muttered, half to herself.

"What? Truly?" her rescuer asked, looking suddenly concerned.

"Yes." Lucina could say no more as she hung her head.

"I see." was the answer again. But suddenly the girl gave a kind smile. "Well, it just so happens that I have something that can revive him. I am a troubadour, trained in healing."

Lucina lifted her head sharply, but didn't answer.

"It sounds impossible, but it's true. Let me show you."

The girl patiently drew a long staff from a holder attached to her waist, and Lucina's breath almost ceased for a moment despite her situation. The staff was pure gold, glittering in the limited light, with a perfect silver ball resting at the pinnacle. A fine ribbon of ice-blue silk was tied around the neck, and beautifully carved letters spelled the words _Kōri no sutaffu no kokoro._

"This is a legendary item." whispered the owner with a tone of reverence. "It can give life back to the dead."

Lucina's eyes widened at this revelation, but her cautious nature drove her to ask, "Is that true? I've never before heard of it..."

"Certainly." the girl affirmed. "I have used it myself once, to revive a dear friend."

"Then can you bring back Robin?" Lucina blurted out, her heart starting to pound harder. Could it really undo all the damage she had done? It sounded too unreal, but so had the concept of dragons being able to transform into humans. Lucina hadn't believed that until she had seen it for itself- the common Manakete.

"Oh?" Now the girl's smile faded a little. "I assume that's why you're upset... But, I will. I cannot ignore one in need."

"Oh, thank you! _Thank you! Thank you!_" Lucina slung her arms around the girl's shoulders as her gratitude came out in an explosion, smiling for the first time in so many long and sleepless hours. The girl smiled her peaceful smile as she knew she was about to reconstruct a life. _Eliwood would be proud._

* * *

It took less than a minute for the two to reach Robin. Excitement powered Lucina's exhausted mind into vitality as her savior followed, panting slightly but encouraged by Lucina's budding joy. The sun was just beginning to recolor the night sky, turning the dark blue a bare measure lighter.

_"Kori no sutaffu no kokoro_... I use your power to give life once more to Robin. Bring him back into this Earth and empower his body with the gift of being." the troubadour intoned, closing her eyes and lifting the staff high into the night air.

The staff glittered faintly in the dim light, beginning to brighten like a twinkling star. Lucina's face was shaded green as the soft light emanated from the staff's glowing orb, but as she switched her blue gaze to Robin she cried out, "Look!"

The wound on Robin's neck was healing itself! Slowly but certainly, the ragged skin regrew and repaired itself into smooth white as it had once been. The little remaining bloodstains vanished, the scar faded and disappeared, leaving the neck unmarked. Utterly stunned, Lucina knelt down and pushed her fingers into the neck to feel his heartbeat once more, her smile resolving her decrepit face. The healer's happiness was much that as Lucina.

At _first_ there was nothing to feel for Lucina, but after the light slowly faded a faint pulsing reached her fingertips. Suddenly she could see a faint, gentle movement in Robin's chest as he began to draw breath once more. Lucina's hand clasped tightly around his own, and she buried her face in his soft cloak and began to laugh wildly in relief, her heart fluttering with such joy it felt it might burst from her still-aching chest.

"It might take a few hours for him to wake up completely, but he'll be in good condition." the blessed girl said in her calm voice, and she gave a small bow to Lucina. "My job here is complete."

"I can't thank you enough..." Lucina replied hoarsely, weak with bliss. "Oh, _what_ can I do to repay you? Robin is my most treasured friend..."

"I am sad to say, nothing." was the modest answer. "I must be departing soon, and I am afraid I cannot grant you this staff. It is needed elsewhere. But, seeing I have brought back a life truly valuable is enough thanks." She finished, respectfully kneeling before heading back towards the nearby forest. Yet then Lucina's numb mind remembered something.

"I don't even know your name after all this... Saving my own life, and then my husband... Would you tell me?"

The girl turned back to face Lucina. "I am Priscilla."

"I am Lucina, Priscilla. I shall always remember your name, and I hope with all my heart I can meet you again to truly repay my debt. You have saved this army beyond imagining."

"Thank you, Lady Lucina." was Priscilla's parting words. "I shall meet you again, it is a promise."

Lucina watched her disappear again into the dissolving night, and the sudden movement of Robin's hand jerked her attention back to him. His eyelids were beginning to flutter as the first light tinted the great sky.

Hope alive again in her, Lucina lifted her head to the dawn and began a song of her own.

_Hope is the force that drives my heart,  
It shines the light in the unending dark.  
Hope is the beauty, the joy of our lives,  
It lives in our hearts and it never truly dies..._


End file.
